The Calypso Directive

A Novel

By: Brian Andrews

Narrated by: Ray Childs

Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

For 155 days, Will Foster has been locked in medical quarantine without his consent. The doctors claim he is infected with a deadly virus, but this is a lie. Encoded in his DNA is a mutation that provides immunity from disease for all who possess it, source code that Vyrogen Pharmaceuticals aims to commercialize as a multi-billion dollar gene therapy.

Against all odds, Foster escapes his laboratory prison and steals a virulent strain of bubonic plague as insurance. To help him unravel the mystery inside him, Foster contacts the only person he can trust - a former lover and microbiologist living Vienna - and the two become fugitives, hunted across the heart of Europe.

Under the guise of averting a plague pandemic, Vryogen hires an elite, underground Think Tank to track down Foster. But when the team sets a trap for Foster, they discover they're not the only ones in the hunt. In a race against two deadly assassins, can the brilliant minds of the Think Tank unravel the truth before time runs out for their quarry?

In a novel where conscience clashes with greed, loyalty with suspicion, and paranoia with reality, The Calypso Directive deftly explores the issues of genetic exploitation and piracy. Captivating, controversial, and courageous, Andrews debut is sure to thrill and leave you wondering what secrets are locked in your DNA.

©2012 Brian Andrews (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Solid Start to a likely series

started a bit slow for me, but second half was intriguing... Good story with a solid grip on the science of gene therapy...

sounds much older than it is

By the narrator's voice and style, I'd have thought this was an early 90's book. He sounds like Dick Hill at his worst, and I mean that most scathingly.

The story is pretty good. It's just that one group seemed to be the bad guys, but turned out to be the good guys, while the entire group of real bad guys boiled down to one person and a contracted rogue hit team. The hit team was unbelievable since they kept claiming to not be assassins. They might have come across more sinister with better narration, but as is they were quite comical, blundering idiots, but with piano wire and broken fingers.

Brian Andrews is a great writer elsewhere, but this didn't quite measure up. It does end on a Twilight Zone, Kafka-esque note that nevertheless leaves room for a sequel if the author chooses, but it's been nearly 20 years, so probably not.

storyline was ok

but the narration made it almost unbearable. I almost stopped listening several times. every character sounded like an 80 year old flabbergasted englishman. it really took away so much from the story that it was hard to enjoy.

need better narrator

It had promise. narrator wasn't very good & if had known ending I wouldn't had listened to at all. won't try the next book because of it & bad narration.

Very good story

The interweaving of characters . It kept me guessing who was the good guy and who was the bad guy. End of story made me want more.

Hard to put down

I loved the book, but hated the ending. Maybe it is just a set up for a sequel in a new series. There is plenty of intrigue, twist and turns throughout the book.

Couldn’t wait for it to be over!

The story line was just hard for me to follow! Lost track of who was who... also just a little to close to home for me given we’re currently dealing with the COVID19

Good story ruined by the reader

I actually liked the story, but the terrible narration ruined it. I hope they get a new narrator and release it again.

Excellent Story

The story was complex but it came together quickly, some books take forever before you understand what is going on, not this one. I recommend it.

Terrible narrating

I couldn’t enjoy the storyline - there was no was to get past the terrible narrating and focus on the actual book.